Nicolas Sarkozy, ‘exceptional man’

As Nicolas Sarkozy gets his election campaign underway, supporters from France’s Haute-Saône region published an article on the candidate’s personal website that extolls the former president in terms echoing the breathless tone of Pyongyang news dispatches.

Titled “10 Good Reasons to Support Nicolas Sarkozy’s Campaign,” the article calls him an “exceptional,” “extraordinary” man, a “global authority” who is welcomed by leaders “around the world” with “haste and respect;” a “lucid reformer” who “never lied to the French” and will “modernize our institutions” as soon as he is re-elected.

While the first nine reasons listed for voting Sarkozy focus on his legacy and political reputation, the last one zeroes in on the human being.

“Nicolas Sarkozy is an exceptional man,” it begins.

“His background, his personality, his temperament, his legacy make him an extraordinary man. They say he is ‘divisive.’ That stems from media’s immediacy or on the superficial nature of things. When you analyze his political decisions, they are constantly underpinned by a search for compromise … He is particularly determined and shows an ability to persevere against all odds. The flow of attacks, insults and questioning would have crushed most men. His capacity to resist in any circumstances is impressive.”

Reason number three: “He never lied to the French” is a dig at French President François Hollande, whom Sarkozy accuses of lying constantly.

Reason number four: “He saved our political family,” refers to the fratricide battles taking place within the mainstream center-right party before Sarkozy took control, and promptly rebranded it as “Les Républicains” despite his rivals’ protests.

Reason number five describes Sarkozy as a “lucid reformer.” No matter that the former president himself admits having “regrets” about his time in power, especially his failure to address rigidities in labor market legislation.

Three months before the start of the Républicains primary, which will be held in two rounds on November 20 and 27, Sarkozy is determined to create what he calls a “blast” effect by saturating media with his presence at the expense of rivals, chiefly Alain Juppé, the race’s frontrunner. Sarkozy’s book, “Tout pour la France” (“Everything for France”), is available at train stations across the country, and had sold 32,000 copies three days after its release — a healthy number for a political title.

Early signs suggest the approach is paying off. A TNS-Sofres poll this week showed him neck-and-neck with Juppé in round one of the two-round election, though he was still trailing in the final round.

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Emanuele

11th reason: He has made more varied and exciting the life of entire Lybian people, at the same time opening new routes to traffic and trade between North Africa and Europe.

Posted on 9/3/16 | 10:58 AM CET

Franc

A legend in his own mind

Posted on 9/3/16 | 11:16 AM CET

JMB

Extraordinarily, exceptionally appalling, perhaps.

Posted on 9/3/16 | 5:13 PM CET

CSK

Has The West seriously sunk so low as to have the likes of Trump and Sarkozy (twice!) contending the top leadership jobs? Imagine the possibility of these two plus Putin let loose on the world stage; they would put the African despot basket cases to shame!